Seems related? From the Lawyers I know and developers I know, I'd say both are skillful technical jobs that need to be assessed. Totally different skillsets, but both go quite in-depth that you cannot just get a random person and get them doing that.
"They are still coding, so the test is supposed to asses their ability to do that."
It depends on the test. If you're just doing a simple code screen - that's fine. This thread was addressing trivia questions and testa that don't actually test a person kn the type of work they would be doing.
Do lawyers take 3-6 months off to study for their next position? Are they asked in those interviews to explain things in unrelated areas of law from which they will be practicing? They have an industry standard instead of random (and potentially biased) questions - law school and the bar.
No, this thread is not addressing trivia questions, only normal questions that might seem unrelated to the day jobs and the fact that there is a test at all. The OP asks about both, studying for questions unrelated to day-job AND about trivia questions, and I agree with them that trivia questions are silly and explain the other point.
Almost no developer "take 3-6 months off to study for their next position", please do not distort reality, that might happen to some but def not the norm. I'd say the normal is 1 week to 1 month of studying on the evenings after work.
Lawyers AFAIK is based a lot on reputation, which includes seeing them work, personal recommendations, etc. Is that better than a test when switching jobs?
"Almost no developer "take 3-6 months off to study for their next position", please do not distort reality, that might happen to some but def not the norm. I'd say the normal is 1 week to 1 month of studying on the evenings after work."
I've seen a number of posts on HN where people are taking significantly longer than one month. If the reality is as you say, then that is trivial and the whole basis of the OPs post (and the vast majority of people's responses here) is moot.
Most of that reputation is really past performance and experience on cases. Things like win %. Devs don't have any similarly standard comparison metrics.
The time people will study is based on the ROI of doing well in the interview. Software engineering has huge salary incentive for interviews so people study a lot. Mechanical engineering has mostly flat salaries based on seniority and manager level so ROI for studying for interviews is 0, so nobody does it.
They are still coding, so the test is supposed to asses their ability to do that.
> Law practice can be intellectually rigorous, but much of a lawyer's work is actually mundane and repetitive. - https://www.thebalancecareers.com/myths-regarding-the-practi...
Seems related? From the Lawyers I know and developers I know, I'd say both are skillful technical jobs that need to be assessed. Totally different skillsets, but both go quite in-depth that you cannot just get a random person and get them doing that.
Doctor jobs just seem way too hard.